Fascinating
Posted on 08/14/2004 12:41:23 PM PDT by Puntagorda
Here's a ground zero report from the Hurricane . . . from my observations as one who lives in the area that was hit.
Charley made a direct hit on Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte Florida.
These two cities sit at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, and are separated by bridges that cross the Peace river which flows into the Gulf.
Neither city had been hit or threatened by a Hurricane in more than 75 years.
Hurricane Charley which was expected to hit Tampa, 120 miles north, unexpectantly veered into Charlotte Harbor, and followed the Peace River inland.
When Charley hit Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda it packed winds of 145 mph.
The downtown areas of both cities have been heavily damaged, with almost all businesses either being heavily damaged or destroyed. The closer the buildings were to the Peace River, the more the destruction.
Both hospitals heavily damaged. Seven Fire Stations heavily damaged. The Punta Gorda police station was destoyed. The Punta Gorda city hall was destroyed. Punta Gorda historic district was destroyed.
Almost every home in Punta Gorda Isles was heavily damaged (an upscale canal community on Charlotte Harbor).
Most mobile home communities were destroyed.
All radio stations off the air - towers down. The airport was destroyed (a small airport with no scheduled flights).
Thousands (maybe tens of thousands) of homes damaged - hundreds (maybe thousands) were totally destroyed.
Rescue workers are doing a door to door search to find the wounded.
Because local communication is down, including cell phone, no accurate numbers are available of who might be missing, or hurt, or who might be in rescue shelters, so door to door searches through the ruble are being conducted.
The lack of phone service, radio reporting, TV news, is causing major problems. And the downed trees and debris blocking roads, makes it difficult to move into the damaged areas - which include the main artery through town - Hiway 41 (also know as the Tamiami Trail).
Most local residents feared the storm surge most . . . the rising water. This is to expected since so many people live on canal front property.
But there was no storm surge. Charlotte Harbor averages 12 feet deep, so not much water in there in the first place. . . and much of it was blown out by the storm.
Almost all the damage was from the 145 mph winds.
The damaged area appears to be in a path about 15 miles wide - 30 miles long following the Peace river from Port Charlotte to Arcadia (30 miles inland).
The barrier Island communities of Sanibel, and Boca Grande suffered major damage.
Communities on the north side of the storm path were basically unaffected (other than the shock value of having a hurricane hit this area - first time in 75 years.)
Only minor damage to cities to the south - Fort Myers suffered some wind damage.
It will take years to rebuild Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.
Many residents will discover that to rebuild to the now mandated Hurricane Building codes will cost much more than the insured value of their homes.
No one here expected the hurricane to hit, the forecasters kept telling us it was going to hit 120 miles north.
We were stunned when Charley was upgraded from a low category II to a dangerous category IV just hours before it hit.
Again this was the first time in 75 years that a Hurricane had even come close to this area. And many of the buildings built in the 60's and 70's simply could not stand the wind load.
FYI: Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda are (were?) ranked in the top ten fastest appreciating real estate markets in the US.
PuntaGorda
Stay cool friend! (You'll know what I mean, nights may be brutal).
Umm... because that area sits on a fault line?
http://www.nbc-2.com/#details will take you to webpage with links to aerial videos of the damage to the barrier islands.
Each state has different regulations.
Florida even has an Insurance Commissioner.
Tabitha?
Prophectic foreshadow of things to come? I think we will get a lot of answers soon. This election will tell us a lot about where America stands. It truly is an election about good versus evil.
Amen!
Now is not the place or time for your political screed.
Puntagorda, thank-you for clarifying what the news groups are trying to say, but it gets muddled.
You're there, so you should know.
What really frustrated me when we lived in Dade (both pre and post Andrew) is that our decision to buy an house built in 1951 (built like a pillbox and rode out 120 mph winds without so much as a loose roof tile) wasn't worth squat in the insurance rates. Those who owned the truly dreadful sheetrock and plywood houses built 1970-85 paid the same as we did.
Supposedly, there is an abortion mill in New Orleans, Louisiana where everyone working there is a witch/warlock.
But that is a rumor and not fact (can't verify it).
You would have to be in a some sort of Witches Coven in that area to know for sure.
Please start your own thread. Your jumping from thread to thread with this stuff is against the rules of FR.
Watch for the chief forecaster of the Hurricane Center to 'retire'.
It happened to Simpson circa 1965 over a 'blown' forecast of a hurricane that was supposed to stay offshore Miami Beach and ended up coming right up Biscayne Blvd.
The mill is less than a mile from the Caloosahatchee River in the Fort Myers area, so I am very wrong about it being near the Peace River.
I do not mean to attack Punta Gorda or Port Charlotte, but I am outraged about what this mill Fort Myers does.
And there will be many tragic stories that come out of this storm -- but no one hears the Silent Scream of the unborn.
Fascinating
The problem with the unknown casualty figures in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte is that the majority of people who live here are retirees and snowbirds.
The snowbird homes are empty this time of year - so if the home is damaged, the rescuers will not know if someone is inside or not.
Same goes with lots of the mobile homes (these are called retirement villas). Many will be empty this time of year.
But the rescue squads have to go through them all to make sure.
So, there may be hundreds of homes that have not yet been searched . . . and no one knows for sure if anyone is home.
So that's why the death and injury toll is basically unknown.
My guess . . . it won't be near as high as some of the wild guesses given on the news.
PuntaGorda
Fla, costal residents should thank G*d that the predicted 17' storm surge did not happen, thousands would have died had 18' of water rolled into Charlette bay and coatal plains that surround it.
The typical homeowners' policy dates from when the home was purchased which for many was several years ago and codes have been upgraded close to annually. The only ones who will be decently covered will be the brand new acquisitions; and trailess? forget them.
What nonsense! Nobody could have forecasted this move. Anyone living on the West Coast of Florida should have evacuated.
It's not the weather forecasters' fault if people were caught in their homes.
Yeah, good old typo. We are NOW responsible for the 2 percent deductible.
Maybe it was a Freudian typo...I just wish we were NOT responsible, LOL.
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